Reviewer for the north, Dave Marsland, visits one of Manchester's more significant recent launches, Finders Keepers.
Neighbourhood bars have become a staple in the Manchester city scene since the transformation of Ancoats, bringing an inter-city vibe to the office workers on the weekends.
New Islington is the latest to receive such an upgrade, with the marina offering many an apartment complex full of city dwellers looking to take advantage of Manchester’s growing cocktail scene.
Finders Keepers is one such venue. It’s from the owners of Didsbury Gin, albeit not a shopfront for its spirit antics. With a team offering names such as Jonathan Moncur (ex-head bartender of Speak in Code), drinks are in capable hands.
Smoked Serenade with mezcal, kiwi and papaya, alongside Mulled Sazerac with rye whiskey and ginger beer reduction draw the eye and palate.
Off-menu orders are also ably accommodated in this stripped-back yet warm setting, which boasts peasant drinking spots at the bar and its surrounds, or outside overlooking the marina come summer.
SCORE: 7/10
» 7 Keepers Quay, Manchester M4 6GL